How much does an AI receptionist cost?
Most published AI receptionist plans for small businesses cost about $30 to $350 a month, depending on the minutes or calls included. Build-it-yourself platforms charge by usage instead: Retell, for one, publishes roughly 7 to 31 cents per minute, before any build work. Human answering services start around $250 to $300 a month for far fewer calls. Prices checked November 8, 2026.
Published AI receptionist prices
These are list prices from each company’s own pricing page on November 8, 2026. They change often, and a “from” price is the cheapest tier, so confirm before you buy. WildRun isn’t affiliated with any of these companies.
| Product | Monthly price | Included | Beyond that |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dialzara | $29 to $349 | 60 to 1,000 minutes | $0.35 to $0.48 per minute |
| Goodcall | $79 to $299 | 100 to 2,000 unique customers | $0.15 to $0.79 per customer |
| My AI Front Desk | $99, or $79 billed annually | 200 minutes | About $0.25 per minute |
| Smith.ai AI Receptionist | Free, then from $150 and from $500 | 25, then from 75, and from 300 calls | $2.10 to $3.00 per call |
Platforms for building your own charge for usage rather than a plan. You or a developer still have to build, test and maintain the agent.
| Platform | Base price | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Retell AI | $0 pay-as-you-go | $0.07 to $0.31 per minute, plus $2 a month per phone number |
| Vapi | From $0 | $0.05 per minute hosting, plus speech, AI model and phone costs |
| Bland | $0 or $299 | $0.12 to $0.14 per talk minute, carrier costs separate |
People, for comparison.
| Option | Cost | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Smith.ai virtual receptionists | $300 to $2,100 a month | 30 to 300 calls; $8.50 to $11.50 per extra call |
| Ruby | From $250 a month | 50 minutes at that tier |
| In-house receptionist | $38,010 a year median wage | BLS, May 2025. Wages only, about $3,170 a month, before payroll taxes and benefits |
One example, worked through
Because plans count usage differently, headline prices don’t compare directly. Take a business with 300 calls a month averaging 3 minutes, so 900 minutes:
| Option | Math | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Dialzara | Top plan covers 1,000 minutes. The $199 plan plus 400 extra minutes would be $359 | $349 |
| Goodcall | $129 plan covers 500 unique customers, and 300 calls can’t exceed that | $129 |
| My AI Front Desk | $99 plus 700 extra minutes at about $0.25 | About $274 |
| Retell AI | 900 minutes at $0.07 to $0.31, plus a $2 number | $65 to $281, plus build work |
| Smith.ai virtual receptionists | Top listed plan covers 300 calls | $2,100 |
The takeaway is that the billing unit matters as much as the price. Long calls favor per-call or per-customer plans. Short, frequent calls favor per-minute plans. Run your own numbers from a month of your phone records before you pick one.
What the monthly price leaves out
- Setup. Some plans are self-serve, so the cost is your time. Others charge for a done-for-you setup.
- Connections. Linking a calendar or CRM may need a higher plan or custom work.
- Phone costs. A number, forwarding minutes and carrier fees can be separate.
- Texting. Business texting needs carrier registration, which has its own fees.
- Several calls at once. Check how many simultaneous calls your plan allows.
- Upkeep. Hours, services and prices change, and someone has to update what the AI knows and read the transcripts.
AI, human or in-house
AI fits when most calls are routine, you want them answered at any hour, and you’re willing to set it up and review it. A human answering service fits when calls are sensitive or unusual and you’re paying for judgment. An in-house receptionist also greets visitors, handles paperwork and knows your customers, which no phone product replaces.
These aren’t exclusive. A common setup is a person during the day with AI catching overflow and after-hours calls. We don’t publish savings estimates, because what you save depends on your calls and what a missed one is worth to you.
How WildRun prices this work
We quote each job in writing before work starts, because a message-taking line and a receptionist tied into your scheduling software are very different projects. Software and usage fees are listed separately so you can see them before you decide. If a product from the table above would do the job on its own, we’ll tell you.
Common questions about AI receptionist pricing
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than a human receptionist?
On list price, usually. The published AI plans above are a fraction of the $38,010 median annual wage for a receptionist (BLS, May 2025). But the two don’t do the same job: an in-house receptionist does much more than answer the phone, so compare against the work you actually need covered.
Why do AI receptionist prices vary so much?
Plans count usage differently, by minute, call or unique customer, and include different features. Some are packaged products and others are building blocks that still need a developer. Comparing them on your own call volume is the only fair test.
Are there hidden fees?
Look for phone number and carrier fees, charges for extra simultaneous calls, overage rates, setup fees, and connections that need a higher tier. Several pricing pages don’t mention setup at all, which doesn’t always mean there isn’t one.
How do I estimate how many minutes I need?
Your phone provider’s records will show calls and minutes for a typical month. Decide which calls the AI would take, such as only after-hours calls, and add a margin for your busy season.
What does WildRun charge?
It depends on the job, so we quote each one in writing before work starts, with software and usage fees listed separately. We don’t publish a price list because the scope varies too much for one to be accurate.